


Empty Underworld

by mitsuboo



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Some Humor, War Aftermath, and whatnot, ingrained racism, not angst heavy i promise, okay im kidding theres mostly humor, political strife
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-31 23:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13986087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitsuboo/pseuds/mitsuboo
Summary: "People will always find a reason to be at war, Sakura," his hands were heavy on her shoulders, his eyes even heavier when they landed on her, "It isn't Elise and Takumi causing this, it's just an excuse for our nations to despise each other again. We have to bring them back home, then they won't have that excuse anymore.""W-Won't the people just find another?""Probably. That's why we have to stop, and that's why we can't do this anymore. We aren't two commoners who just got married, no matter how many times we lie to the people we meet out here, that won't ever make it true. We have to find Elise and Takumi, and then we have to go home and..."The answer was bitter on her tongue, something she had to spit out before it corrupted her completely, "...And act like this never happened."-- In which Elise and Takumi disappear at the same time, causing accusations and tension to rise in Hoshido and Nohr's civilian folk, and a very convoluted romance to arise between the two people who take it upon themselves to fix the problem. --





	Empty Underworld

  "Why are Nohrians so goddamn tall?"

 

   It was a bitter question, and one Sakura wasn't entirely sure she should answer. Hinoka was wrinkling her nose in barely disguised disgust as she cast glances to the black-clad royal family across the hall. The Nohrians were grouped together in a tight circle as if they were about to play sports. Nervousness began to bloom in her stomach as she listened to Hinoka's scratchy voice throw another quiet insult their way. It was a nervousness over being heard, over the shaky feeling of tension in the air, these meetings always put her on edge.

 

   "By the divine dragons, her boobs are out again. Doesn't she ever put them away?"

 

    Despite the discomfort and rather lewd statement, she couldn't help but smile. On the other end of the table, Takumi coughed up his tea, his eyes widening as he put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from spewing it everywhere. The sound he made was a mixture between a snort and a laugh, and resulted in him snickering under his breath while drying his hand on his thigh. "She just brings 'em out more for negotiation days."

 

    "Ugh," Hinoka wiped off her arm in disgust, "You got your tea-spit all over me. And don't talk about a woman's breasts like tha-"

 

    "You talked about them first!"

 

    "That doesn't mea-"

 

     Ryoma's silencing glance over his shoulder was like a brick wall between the two siblings. His almond eyes were commanding and hard, and just enough to quiet down the two rowdier ones of the family. Sakura's discomfort began to melt away once they calmed, and the nervous tension in her shoulders loosened. She shot the eldest a thankful, meek smile, earning an affirmative grin in return. 

 

     Despite not wanting to make fun of their new allies, Sakura couldn't disagree with the fact that Nohrians  _are_ very tall, and Camilla did indeed seem to choose the lowest cut blouses for negotiation days. She was beautiful, even across the room, flipping her curls over her shoulder and sending Xander a comfortable smile. Beside her stood Elise, looking bored and picking at her nails. Leo was on Camilla's other side with his arms folded across his chest and a look of exasperation on his face. He didn't seem to be listening to anyone, even with Xander at the head of the group sternly going over whatever it was they needed privacy for. Sakura watched as the eldest's hands waved in front of him lightly for a second, before flattening out in the air and turning over so his palms were up, as if he had asked a question and was expecting an answer. 

 

     "What do you think they're talking about?" Takumi's annoyance was obvious, something he never tried to hide. He hated to be ignored, and the whole Nohrian family getting up halfway through a negotiation over crops and migrating to the farthest corner of the room was not the wisest choice to sate Takumi's temper. 

 

     "Be patient," Ryoma replied under his breath, "This is a touchy subject for them."

 

     There seemed to be a lot of touchy subjects with Nohr. 

 

     A scowl from Takumi, "Get over it already."

 

     "If you keep making that face it'll get stuck like that, and you'll never find someone to marry." Hinoka quipped teasingly.

 

     The archer squinted at her good naturedly, "Gods, you sound like Mikoto."

 

     Before a reply could be made, Xander cleared his throat and began to turn on his heel to walk back to the table. Hinoka straightened up and put on her best concrete expression, the one she used in these kinds of meetings so as to not give her feelings away. Takumi raised a brow at the royal family as they followed their eldest brother to the table, all in formation like soldiers. As Xander neared, he plastered an awkward smile on his face, "I apologize for our rudeness, we had much to discuss," He gently lowered himself down to the ground to sit upon the small cushions placed on their side. The big man was so bumbling about it, as if it was his first time sitting on the floor in seiza. At his right, Camilla sat with practiced ease, while Elise plopped herself down on her other side. To Xander's left, Leo made an unreadable expression as he positioned himself for more comfort against the pillow. Sakura never guessed that simply sitting could be such an ordeal for foreigners. 

 

     Ryoma raised his palm and gave a reassuring smile, "It's quite alright. Anyway, I was thinking that Corrin will be back soon with news about our dinner, and we can resume the negotiations then. I find that communication over a steaming plate is much more amiable."

 

    That much was true, and Sakura's stomach wholeheartedly agreed. She was already nervous from being there in the first place, and she knew food would ease her nerves. It seemed as if she was the only one who didn't enjoy the arguments and the politics. Elise, even, got involved in her own hopeful, positive way. Sakura had the habit of merely keeping silent and focusing on whatever concoction Corrin's chefs would make. 

 

    Corrin's castle was all marble and stone. Blue and gold banners covered the walls on the outside, enhancing the sheer white of the spiraling towers. On the inside, Corrin had decorated his main throne room with the indoor water gardens of Hoshido, complete with lily pads. On occasion, an ambassador would visit and wake up with a frog on the pillow beside them, or a snake depending on the time of year. There were Nohrian touches in the doors, how they swung open forwards or backwards, and especially in the flowers - roses, red ones, entire gardens full of them. The land of Valla was made up of both Hoshidan and Nohrian territory, making for the oddest of mixtures between two climates and soil. The air was warm, but a breeze would run through and remind it's visitors of who it's neighbor was. It's population was small, but slowly rebuilding with the help of both countries pooling resources together. This was where both parties agreed to meet to discuss politics and business matters. It was a week long trek from both kingdom's castle, and most importantly of all: It made Corrin happy.

 

    The king simply turned into a bouncing ball of excitement when both of his families would visit. He seemed to not pay attention to the politics, but rather feeding them and making sure their stay was positive. In some desperate attempts to give his reviving kingdom a little culture of it's own, he tended to mix the cultures of both neighbors into one odd hotplate of disaster. This meant eating Nohrian dinners with Hoshidan chopsticks, and listening to a musician attempt to play a guzheng with a violin bow.

 

    In all, it was an uncomfortable experience for all involved. 

   

    While Xander and his siblings agreed with Ryoma's statement, it was awkward nonetheless. Sakura did not include herself in the small talk, yet still felt the urge to turtle her way into her pink and white kimono and simply disappear. Ryoma and Xander discussed the weather, of all things, while Camilla and Hinoka traded passive aggressive 'big sister secrets'. Leo and Takumi shared an understanding smirk - Takumi's looked more like a grimace - before Leo proceeded to critique the architecture. 

 

    Elise, meanwhile, was bouncing with energy upon being seated across from Sakura. Finally, when the blonde caught the Hoshidan princess's eye, she squealed nearly loud enough to drown out the other conversations. Sakura couldn't help a smile while Camilla giggled and patted her younger sister's head, "Quiet down at the dinner table, won't you dear?"

 

    "Yep," she nodded, grinning her suspicious grin, "Wiiiill dooo, sis. Big sis. Sister o' mine."

 

    Decidedly used to this, Camilla ignored her sister's behavior, and turned her attention back to the verbal competition with Hinoka. Upon observing the coast was clear, Sakura leaned forward to whisper to her blonde friend, "What is it?"

 

    Elise held back another squeal, and instead leaned in to meet her, "I've got news. Big news."

 

    Sakura's eyes widened, "Was it what you were all discussing when you broke away from the negotiations?" 

 

    "What?" Her brows furrowed, "No. This is way more important than potatoes and broccoli. I've... I have..."

 

     Elise had a habit of pausing to build tension. She even once faked a heart attack just to drive her listeners crazy. Nobody believed it, of course, except for Odin. It was one of the first times Elise and Sakura actually interacted, on those nights when the Nohrian princess would sit around a fire with bored soldiers and tell stories, she and Odin would take turns until Elise would fall asleep. It was as therapeutic for her as it was for those listening, and nobody ever cared that Sakura wasn't from the same country as them. War erased many things in the minds of those involved. 

 

    Sakura was so fond of those memories that she simply let Elise pause for her own pleasure. Her eyes widened, and her palms stretched out in front of her as she began to whisper excitedly, "I have a boyfriend!"

 

    A pin could've dropped between the two of them, and it would be heard. The conversations around them carried on still, yet Sakura stared at her friend with wide eyes. Envy was a prickled flower taking bloom in Sakura's stomach, slowly spreading it's poison throughout her veins. Before she could even have enough sense of mind to force a response out of herself, a sudden yell interrupted every foggy thought passing through her brain. 

 

    "What do you think we are? A cash cow? Vow or no vow, take care of your people on your own! Don't expect us to just kneel to your every whim!"

 

    Sakura's poisoned veins froze. She closed her eyes in anticipation, suddenly feeling whoozy from the overload happening around her. There would be no dinner, at least not for her, she could never stomach food when faced with the yelling of the two kings. Ryoma had stood up, pointing an accusing finger at his blond counterpart. Xander was glaring with intensity as he stood to face the Hoshidan king, "Take care of my people? What do you think I'm doing?"

 

    "Negotiations have started, I see," Camilla quipped sardonically, "Dinner hasn't even been served yet."

 

    It seemed impossible for Sakura to bear any jokes about this. Each man's voice was a booming clap of thunder that shook her to the core. All she wanted was peace between the nations, no arguments, no resentment over trading. Knowing that Elise wanted the same, she spared a glance her way to catch her watching the two men with wide, horrified eyes. She seemed less shaken by it, and more offended by them interrupting her story.  _I'm sorry,_ thought Sakura,  _I'll try to be happy for you, I promise. I know you've got it hard._

 

She tried to drown out the rising tension, yet the rest of the family began to join in. "You've no idea what Nohr is like." Leo defended with venom lacing his tone, "You've no idea what we face."

 

     "And you've no idea what Hoshido is like," he retorted, "the destruction we've faced, the rebuilding we're having to do. Half our land has been burned down, and our rivers have been polluted by all the refuse of the war. You think we have the means to help you? When you haven't even tried to help yourselves?"

 

     This was a conversation had over many dinners. A vow of peace on a grassy knoll one summer's day wasn't enough to cure each country's ailments. A past of hatred couldn't be erased by a shaky alliance made under one uniting force. During a war strategy meeting once, Leo had said ' _The enemy of my enemy is my friend_ ', yet Sakura had sat in the corner of the room, nervously twiddling her fingers, wondering what would become of them once there was no enemy left to fight. 

    

     As much as she hated to predict the negative, that time had come. The enemy was gone, and she was watching the two kings glare like rabid dogs about to rip each other's throat out. It was a matter of honor, of pride, of status - too many things to count. She had a headache, and Elise had a boyfriend, and  _oh gods_ if they went to war again, she doesn't know what she would do. The yelling of the eldest brothers seemed to drown out the world around her, even if the yells were about something as harmless as potatoes. Sakura never knew vegetables could cause such emotional outbursts. 

 

     Hinoka was wrapping a protective arm around Sakura, who hadn't even realized her own shaking shoulders. She spared a glance to her older sister, who merely gave the brothers a cold stare, "At least wait until the girls are out of the room to start your yelling," then, she directed a warm smile to the youngest, "come on, let's just go take a bath and relax for a bit."

 

     Elise didn't even get this treatment, yet she looked as if she was about to cry. Camilla had grabbed her hand under the table, yet said nothing about escorting her out. Sakura was the only one deemed weak enough to not handle the yelling, and she knew she was. She was entirely, fully aware that she was considered the one most lacking in strength, mental and physical. She swiped her eyes across the table to Leo, who locked eyes with her, "If you're just going to sit there and cry then please do that on your own time."

 

     "Leo!" Camilla gasped, "That's not okay to say to a girl!"

 

     An argument erupted between the two, only slightly less loud than the argument between the two eldest. Hinoka cursed under her breath in Hoshidan at the blond prince, while Sakura looked away and tried her best to dam up the tears threatening to spill. Her face felt hot, her stomach tingled in anxiety, and all she wanted to do was  _run._ She wanted to run away from the accusing, critical eyes of the prince who sat down the table, across from her brother who was clutching a fork as if he was about to use it to stab someone. 

 

     "I apologize," he furrowed his brows as if he was genuinely confused by the reception he received, "But it's true. She's wasting space, and not to mention her own time. She could better spend this evening doing something else, such as... I don't know, party planning. Flower picking. Romance novel writing."

 

     Romance novel writing? She jerked out of her fog and whipped her head around to look at him, brows furrowed, "I d-don't write... uh, r-romance novels..."

 

     "Fine, young adult novels about fairies."

The room seemed to pause in it's tracks. Ryoma's brows were furrowed as he stared at the blond prince in disbelief. The corner of Xander's mouth twitched in amusement before he straightened himself up and sighed, "I apologize, lady Sakura. My little brother doesn't quite know how to express concern."

 

Concern. This wasn't a matter of expressing concern. Sakura merely stared at the king, wide eyed with a slightly ajar mouth. She could feel hot tears pinprick the corners of her eyes, yet they wouldn't dare fall. He was attempting to imply that his brother was trying to show concern. As a healer, she was an expert in that particular emotion, and what Leo was doing was not that.

 

Before she could even attempt to defend herself, a giggle erupted from Camilla. Leo's annoyed expression began to melt away, and he let out an airy chuckle under his breath. Ryoma raised his brows, crossed his arms, and shook his head as if the opposing family was going insane. As Hinoka rolled her eyes at the display, the tension began to melt away. Just as quickly as it had come, the anger between the two families was gone, and replaced with a shared laugh. Sakura seemed to be the only one not laughing, her eyes still glued to Leo, and her mind still thinking of the million different ways she could tell him how little she appreciated what he said. So many different methods, and she found herself unable to even voice one.

     "Stop," Takumi suddenly demanded, disgust in his eyes, "Just stop making fun of her, pig head. And you two..." he looked at Ryoma, then shifted his eyes to Xander, and slapped both hands down on the table. Pushing himself up, he sent a withering glare to all who watched, "Fuck your ancestors to the eighteenth generation!"

 

     The quiet response was a mixture of 'what?' from the Nohrians, and offended gasps from the Hoshidans. Unphased, Leo leaned back on his elbows in a lazy manner and raised one groomed brow, monotonely stating, "His exit was more tame than usual today."

 

     Ryoma, now returning to his proper, honorable demeanor as king, nodded affirmatively, "He's had something on his mind lately."

 

     "I know how that is," Xander gave a low chuckle, now abandoning the respectful seiza position, instead opting for his legs open and informal, "Angsty little brothers can be a handful."

 

     Leo cleared his throat, while Camilla began to giggle. Hinoka's arm unsnaked itself from around Sakura's shoulders in favor of leaning on the table, "Tell me about it. Nice to know we're not the only ones dealing with it."

 

     "Hey, I didn't say anything about ancestors," Leo quipped defensively, "I've kept my mouth shut. Now that we've got all of this silly arguing out of the way, can we please get back on the subject of crops? And at least  _try_ to be civil with things?"

 

     Every cell in Sakura's body told her to speak up and tell him that he  _did not_ keep his mouth shut, and that she demanded an apology. Yet, as she raised her head and looked at him, noticing he wasn't even paying her an ounce of attention anymore, her resolve weakened. It had been washed away, dimmed down, and not by patience or kindness, but by pure  _anxiety_ \- a lack of confrontational skills. Her stomach churned in response to these thoughts, making her look away in an attempt to find sanctuary in some other topic of conversation. Yet, Elise was not sitting across from her any longer. 

 

    "Um... E-Excuse me," she asked Camilla, earning the woman's attention in the form of a surprised, warm smile, "Where d-did Elise go?"

 

    "Oh goodness," Camilla tapped her chin, "I don't know, dear. She just mentioned she had something else to do and then just left. She seemed awfully upset."

 

     "Okay, t-thank you." She bowed her head in respect, and gently stood up from the table. All of the unused silverware and plates had been jostled about with the abrupt standing from the past arguments, yet she was quiet as a mouse as she excused herself in the form of a whisper and made her way out of the dining hall. Servants had been placed at the large swinging doors, eyeing the royals like they were rotten meat. Sakura's cheeks warmed at the thought of outsiders seeing the silly, private bickering between the two families, and at having extra eyes on her for the humiliation Leo had dealt to her. 

 

     Politely, she bowed her head to them as she made her exit. If Elise truly was upset then she needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to understand her, and someone to care for her. She and Sakura weren't similar in levels of outgoing-ness, but they could relate on not enjoying their families arguments. The vow of peace felt so shaky, so new, like a newborn calf just beginning to walk. Only time would erase the built in prejudice between the nations, and Sakura felt as if she understood that more than anyone else could. 

 

                                                                                                       oOoOoOo

 

     "Gonna run off to see your new boyfriend?"

 

     Elise nearly jumped out of her bones at the sudden voice behind her. She screeched, then immediately forced herself quiet and sent a harsh glare to the culprit. Her heart raced with the shock, and her breath shortened as her lips twisted into a childish pout. "So what if I am?"

 

     Takumi folded his arms over his chest, "Well, I won't stop you."

 

     "Yeah you will, you left just so you  _could_ stop me. Admit it."

 

     "Ugh, no."

 

      "Admit it!"

 

     "There's nothing to admit!" 

 

    "There's everything to admit! Stalker! Pervert!"

 

     It was as if someone had struck a match behind his eyes with how they lit up. Elise knew exactly what buttons to push, and exactly what strings to pull to light that fire, she considered herself a master arsonist upon doing it correctly. Takumi was puffed up now and ready to attack, "Do you even have a boyfriend?!"

 

    His words stopped her in her tracks, brows furrowing as she quieted down once more and looked at him in calm suspicion, "How'd you even know about that?" "I have ears, idiot," he spat back, "And you really need to learn how to whisper quietly." "You really need to learn how to not eavesdrop on private conversations." He sighed, "Answer the damn question." In actuality, this time she  _did._ It was only a merely coincidence that the last 4 times Takumi heard she had a boyfriend were all lies made up by herself, spread around by her own mouth, and twisted into even more extravagant tales by her own tongue. They were all for fun, just to see the reactions, and mostly everybody who heard them that actually knew her were aware of their lack of truth. Yet, she had personally told Sakura - she laments not getting to finish her story, and resents the two kings for their bickering stopping her from finishing it - and holds to the fact that she would never lie to her dear friend, even for the sake of a good rumor. Takumi should know this now about her, after spending 3 years fighting alongside her in the same war. 

 

      Yet, he didn't know that. It was odd how little the families actually knew of each other, despite working together in closeness. It was all war meetings, strategy talks, and map layouts. After all of that was over with, they returned to their respective sides of the camps and focused on their own troops. Elise made it a habit to interact with both Nohrians  _and_ Hoshidans, something that made her an odd mixture of both popular and unpopular in Takumi's mind. 

 

     She could never try to flesh out the logic he had, and she could never try to understand how he truly felt. Yet, being 17 and in her bloom of youth, she decided to ignore it and fry much larger, bigger fish. 

 

     Like the 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. tower guard, Peter. A much bigger fish, indeed. 

 

     "He's handsome," she told him pompously, smoothing out the wrinkles in her black skirt, "He has a mustache. And armor. Very nice, protective armor."

 

      While Takumi did not have a mustache, nor did he care about having one, he found the need to squint in suspicion at her, "It's one of those wispy little upper lip hair things, isn't it?"

 

      It was, but Elise was not about to let him know that. She huffed and glared at him, "So what? He's a good guy, okay? Let me just be happy. Is that too much to ask?"

 

      The fire died down, and Takumi could no longer meet her eyes. He took a step back and leaned one shoulder against the stone wall. There were torches lit up on either side of the hallway he found her in, casting the pair in a golden lighting. Elise watched as he opened his mouth to speak, then shut it back up again.

 

      "I hate it when you won't look at me." Her complaint was soft, not so much of a complaint as it was a request. When he took a step back, she only took a step forward. In response, Takumi flickered his eyes back to her, fulfilling her wish. 

 

     "Then I should do it more," His voice was flat, monotone and unamused, "I should never give you what you want, then maybe you'd grow up a little and leave me alone."

 

     She smiled gently up at him, "You're the one who found me, I didn't go out looking for you."

 

     That was enough to push him away and break him from his tame, nearly defeated state. He pushed himself off against the wall and turned around, storming back down the hallway in an escape attempt from the truth of her statement. He wasn't ready to face that he went out to find her, and the only plausible thing in his mind that he could do was to run away from the problem. To just get angry and stomp away, leave the smile that haunted his dreams behind in the golden glow of a Valla hallway.

 

      He turned a corner, and nearly ran into his younger sister. She gasped and stepped away, her palms going up in front of her as her eyes widened, "T-Takumi! There you are," his tension seemed to lightly melt as he watched her smile up at him, "I-I was worried sick. Have you seen Elise?"

 

     The mention of the blonde immediately shot him back into a bad mood. It was like a dark cloud forming over his head, causing a rainfall upon his shoulders. He scowled and sidestepped his sister, "She's over there. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

 

     He certainly didn't _look_ fine. Sakura watched him storm off with a concerned expression, while Elise turned the corner Takumi had just came from. Turning back around, she merely blinked, "Elise! Why're you crying?"

 

    "No big deal," She wiped one eye with the back of her hand and brushed past her friend, "I'm not crying. I have allergies."

 

     "I... I don't believe that for a second." Sakura stepped forward to wrap an arm around her friend's slim shoulders. She smelled of evergreens and cinnamon, and her tears were warm on her shoulder as she leaned into the hug, "W-What did Takumi say to you?"

 

    "We just talked for, like, five seconds," she wiped her nose on her black sleeve and grimaced, "How'd he make me cry in five seconds?"

 

    If she was looking for a professional opinion, Sakura could give that. If she was looking for the opinion of a caring friend, Sakura would give that too. Yet, professional opinions were more natural to her. She cocked her head and thought for a second, "That, uh, ya know... time of the month. Or maybe repressed emotion or stress," she squeezed her shoulder, "you feel rather tense... Or it could be..."

 

   Elise's eyes were watery as she looked at the other princess with desperation, "What?"

 

   Sakura paused a second longer, then sent her a sheepish, apologetic grin, "I'm pausing for effect."

 

   "Don't do that to me! Tell me what it could be!" The blonde healer suddenly blew up in emotion, now pulling back from the embrace to grasp Sakura's shoulders with intensity, "What does he say about me? Does he ever actually mention me? Does he keep a diary? I wanna read it! How does he act when you talk about me? Do you even talk about me? Talk about me more!"

 

    The teasing nature was gone, replaced by a sudden onslaught of shyness, "I-I don't think this is m-my place..." She had never regretted dabbling in her brother's business so much until now.

 

    Elise huffed and pulled back once more, a look of determination on her pale features, "You're right. It's my responsibility to take care of this."

 

    "T-Take care of it?"

 

    "Yes. I'm going to march right up to him, and tell him to just leave me alone forever so I can have peace for once."

 

    "Ooooh no. N-no... I don't think you should d-do that. In fact... please don't do that."

 

    The Nohrian princess was like a tornado, those dust devils that she heard so much about from the most barren corners of Nohr. There was no stopping her, and Sakura knew that. She shouldn't have messed with fire, she shouldn't have even teasingly poked the coals like she did. And now, the consequences would be paid, and she would live with the guilt that it was her fault for egging on the breaking of her brother's heart. This was all unknown to Elise, who simply had no idea the caliber of what exactly was going on with Takumi. Yet, Sakura did. Sakura was the one who listened as he ranted about how her blonde hair seemed to change colors in the sunlight. Sakura was the one who spent long nights sitting with him in his room, going over the many different ways he could confess to her. Sakura was the one enduring the very bad poetry he churned out when he was particularly love-struck.

 

   And Sakura was the one wishing that someone loved her as much as her brother loved her best friend. And she was the one trying to stay optimistic as she saw love bloom around her, yet felt no love bloom for her. A deep, dark, hidden side of her seemed to jump in glee at the prospect of one relationship not working out, yet she stuffed it down deeper the second it began to rear it's ugly head. It was merely negativity, self consciousness and insecurity making her want to rejoice in how Elise was now stomping down the hallway in search of Takumi. "Um... please wait..."

 

    A plea either ignored, or unheard.

 

    She stood there a minute longer, mulling over her choices in the last few minutes. If only she had not joked around with Elise, then maybe there wouldn't have been any motivation to send the princess into one of her spirals of destructive determination. If only she had kept her mouth shut, she might not have spurned it on. Downcast, she began the trek back to her bedroom, silently apologizing to Takumi with every breath she took, knowing it would not be enough.

 

 

                                                                                              oOoOoOo

 

    Mornings were not good times for Leo.

 

    It was a common assumption that the most intelligent and the most put together of all the Nohrian royalty would be a stark morning person. It was assumed that he drank a healthy tea, woke up before the sun, and began the day's projects with vigor to challenge the gods.

 

    That assumption was complete bull.

 

    Leo spent the mornings in bed. He woke up usually around 11 a.m. on days when he didn't have to train, or when he could get a strong enough lock to keep Xander - the actual morning person in the family - out of his room. Once actually up, he began his shuffle around the kitchen, making black coffee with a few spoons of sugar and milk in it, and a very wicked bedhead. He maintained the fact that no servant could make his coffee the way he liked, and he also had a habit of kicking all the cooks out of the kitchen until his coffee was done, seeing as he despised any sort of noise or company while in this state. Camilla was the exact same way, as was Elise. Even Garon had been a bear in the mornings. It was a family thing, and Xander was entirely alien to them. For the most part, Elise would join him at the large dining table of wherever they were staying, blonde hair down in loose, messy curls as she sipped on hot chocolate. The two would sit in silence, sometimes glare at the same wall, and occasionally complain about the existence of the sun. Yet, on this particular morning, Elise was nowhere to be found. That, in itself, made Leo acutely aware of his surroundings. He noted the empty table, how the coffee Corrin had stocked his shelves with was particularly weak, and how there were no servants or maids anywhere to be seen. The castle itself felt empty and hollow, and it was unnerving the young prince.

 

    "Niles," Leo spoke up in a gruff tone, "Where is my sister?"

 

    The archer, surprised at being spoken to, raised a brow, "I'm not her retainer, my lord." For a split second, the white haired man considered that he might've poked the bear too early in the morning. While he enjoyed to play around, it was forbidden to do so with Lord Leo before 12 p.m. He never had actually been spoken to before 12 p.m. on non-training days, either, and the break from the normal intrigued him greatly.

 

    Leo, on the other hand, merely scowled, "Odin?"

 

   The mage was much too excited about being addressed, standing to rapt attention upon the calling of his name, "Nay, nay! The dark little sister has not come to my attention!"

 

    "Odin."

 

   "Uh, no. Sorry, no. Haven't seen any sign of her. Arthur and Effie weren't at breakfast today, either."

 

   "Odd," Leo sipped his coffee, closing his eyes to focus on the heavy scent, and not noticing the frantic older sister passing by the open doors of the dining room.

 

    Camilla ran by, hair in a messy bun, talking to herself under her breath. Following her was Selena, one hand on her sword, her voice much louder than her mistress's. "My lady, really, she probably just went for a walk!" Leo's eyes shot open. Camilla hurried past the two open doors again, yet stopped in her tracks. She looked over at Leo, eyes wide. Black makeup was smeared on her cheeks, and long dark curls framed her face.

 

    Leo only noted that she looked like either a murderer, or a murder victim. It was a very normal sight. The Nohrian siblings were not pretty in the mornings. "I enjoy the new look. Is smeared lipstick the new trend?"

 

    Defensively, Camilla wiped at her cheek with the back of her hand. After, she turned on her heel and stomped into the dining hall, Selena following with a grumpy look on her face. "Something happened," Camilla spat out, "She's gone."

 

   He nonchalantly sipped his coffee, "Beruka? That's normal, sister, you should know by now. Or are you talking about your stuffed anima-"

 

   "Shut up," Camilla's snappish tone was enough to knock him from his sarcastic state. He looked at her with wide eyes and set down his coffee, waiting for her to finish as she plopped down onto the floor pillow beside him, head in her hands, "It's Elise. She's gone."


End file.
